Peter Robinson has rounded on his critics within the DUP – branding them "people with the strategic vision of a lemming".

The First Minister came out fighting against what he said were individuals "puffed up by their own importance" – but he declined to name who he was referring to.

It came a day after outgoing Health Minister Edwin Poots claimed on live radio that his party leader would be stepping down within months – a claim swiftly denied by Mr Robinson.

Yesterday Mr Poots wrote on Twitter: "Northern Ireland needs strong leadership, not internal strife in its largest party. DUP leader has clear mandate."

Earlier Mr Robinson said the party would deal with those who did not back his leadership.

However, he refused to spell out exactly who his "lemming" jibe was aimed at.

"I have made the comment and unlike some others, I haven't tried to personalise it to any individual –let people put the cap on and see if it fits them," he said.

Some have interpreted the First Minister's remarks as an indication of the sense of growing chaos within the DUP.

On Monday Mr Robinson axed Mr Poots and Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland in a surprise reshuffle.

The next morning, Mr Poots said he believed it was "public knowledge" that Mr Robinson would quit "within months".

Within an hour Mr Robinson issued a statement in which he said he had no plans to stand down, adding that when he did, he would be the one to make the announcement.

The bizarre episode added to rumours of a rift within the DUP.

Yesterday Mr Robinson said the DUP had "always prided itself on being a family party".

However, he added: "Even in the Democratic Unionist Party, it's clear there are some people who are so puffed up by their own importance, people who have the strategic vision of a lemming, and we have to deal with those people.

"They won't take us off course. It is very clear where the party's direction is, and the party has choices to make – it can follow people down a road to destruction, division within the party and the consequences that would be paid for that, or they can move ahead and do what we said in our election commitments of taking Northern Ireland forward.

"That's a clear choice, but I can't stop people from making comments. All I can do is continue to raise issues with the party officers, they have indicated their support for the strategy I have outlined, and let's see what the people have to say."

In what appeared an orchestrated move from party HQ, senior DUP members took to Twitter yesterday to pledge their support for Mr Robinson.

Deputy leader Nigel Dodds said: "It should go without saying, Peter has my full support in leading us into the upcoming elections." Finance Minister Simon Hamilton said: "Peter Robinson is absolutely the right person to lead the DUP, unionism and Northern Ireland.."